Swan River Wetland Restoration Environmental Assessment (EA)
The Swan River National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge), located in northwest Montana, was established in 1973 as an inviolate sanctuary, or for any other management purposes, for migratory birds. In July 2018, an additional 319 acres was incorporated into the refuge with the addition of the Cruz Waterfowl Production Area (WPA). Prior to the Refuge and WPA becoming part of the refuge system, they were under private ownership and used for a variety of purposes such as muskrat farming, agriculture, and ranching. In order to accommodate these land uses, the hydrology was altered by excavating an extensive network of ditches to drain the wetlands into Swan Lake.
In 2017, the Service completed an initial restoration assessment to evaluate the potential of restoring the natural wetland hydrology and vegetation at the Refuge. Upon completion of that initial assessment, three restoration alternatives were developed. These were analyzed through an EA and included the following:
Alternative A (No Action) – No restoration actions would occur at the Refuge.
Alternative B (Proposed Action) – Wetland restoration would occur at the Refuge addressing recommendations in the Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP). Restoration would be accomplished by removing the levees created during the original ditch excavation and using the material as ditch plugs.
Alternative C – This alternative expands on Alternative B by completely filling the ditches on the refuge by importing additional material, resulting in a more comprehensive return of the landscape to pre-disturbance conditions.
To fulfill public outreach obligations, a notice was published in the Seeley-Swan Pathfinder newspaper on April 8, 2021 announcing the 32-day public comment period, which ran from April 12 through May 14. Additionally, a local conservation focused non-profit (Swan Valley Connections) hosted a virtual open house on the evening of April 14th. In total, 29 people attended the virtual open house and 30 comments were received on the draft EA. The majority of the feedback received during the virtual open house was supportive of the restoration, with clarifying questions being asked by the participants. Additionally, the majority of the comments received were also clarifying in nature, seeking additional information or providing the Service with information.
The restoration work is scheduled to take place over the summer of 2022. This past summer, two pre-bid walkthroughs were held at the Refuge, and four contractors attended. Funds to complete the project are coming from a NAWCA grant held by Swan Valley Connections and the Kerr Mitigation Fund. This fund was established to mitigate habitat impacts from Kerr Dam on Flathead Lake.